As a member organisation of Socitm, East Riding used the free resources provided to create governance around the adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies within the council.
Background
The journey began when the council received an update from Socitm, introducing the guidance, developed in partnership with ALGIM.
Recognising the importance of a robust AI framework, the council adapted the resource as a tool to develop its own policy.
“The Socitm AI Policy served as a crucial starting point for us. Without it, we would have been starting from scratch. We adapted and aligned it with our existing governance processes and policies.”
Kevin Woodcock, ICT Strategic Solutions and Systems Manager for East Riding Council
During the policy development phase, the council conducted a pilot project using Microsoft Copilot. This provided valuable evidence supporting the necessity of the AI policy.
Impact and benefits
Kevin said: “The policy not only helped us build a robust framework but also enabled us to tailor it to our specific needs. This understanding was crucial in advancing our AI initiatives.”
The pilot of Microsoft Copilot stands out as a testament to the policy’s effectiveness. It demonstrated the practical benefits of having a well-defined AI policy, showcasing how the council could navigate the complexities of AI implementation.
The simple language of the policy was directly integrated into the council’s policy, saving time and effort.
Kevin added: “We were impressed by how comprehensive and user-friendly the Socitm guidance was. It provided a ready-made framework that we could adapt, which was incredibly time efficient.”
Download templates
Corporate policy for use of GenAI
Terms of Reference for an AI Governance Board
Photo by Viktor Talashuk on Unsplash